The very first bit of information that I gave you last year was an article about watching the ball. This is another simple one, two pages, that stress the same point. Its written by Bill Tilden, who for the first half of the 20th century was considered the greatest tennis player ever. When Rodger Federer won the US Open for the 6th straight time last year he tied Tilden's record which stood for 80 years.
The video clip defines and expands on tracking. It referrers the viewer to the important idea of "tracking the tennis ball." This is along the same line as, "keeping your head still." You should now be able to see how these many simple 'ball/eye' concepts connect, that I've presented here on our blog. Watching the ball, and keeping your head between the lines when your on the court practicing and playing a match. This will allow your brain to go on auto pilot, as it send signals to your body and feet, that you don't even know they are getting. Your muscle memory is taking over.
You may occasionally be in this zone where all you see is the ball and nothing else. The more you practice this, then the more you'll do it without thinking and the bigger the ball will become. If this is executed all the things we'll practice, footwork, spacing and timing will work for you in harmony and rhythm. You may even find beats to work with.
Baseball players have been there, as Chase Utley was last year during the World Series, tying Reggie Jackson's record for home runs. The baseball must have looked like a grapefruit to him at times. However we have it a bit easier considering you all have a big circular racquet to hit a ball with. I see many a tennis player take this for granted. "How can I miss a ball with this big racquet in my hand, do I really need to look at it that closely?" However I see this concept as making you a more effective a tennis player, in a simple way. Really its part making your racquet that much more effective as a tool, as you work on centering the ball. The "SWEET SPOT" is where your racquet maximizes its' control and power. Remember I said it's all in the eyes.
So I want to take this time for that simple concept to begin re-settling into your sub-conscious, so it kicks on sometime in the near future when you retake the tennis court again, and place yourself between the white lines. I say this knowing that some of you haven't played in a while, and some of you are new all together.
Remember Coach Wooden's quote in the "Pyramid of Success," Little things make the big things happen. Tracking and watching the ball is appropriate to that point. This is such a little thing that is so often forgot. So say to yourself during practice or a match forget about everything else and think about the bright green tennis ball, with its black lettering and white seams. You will see them spinning if you try hard enough.
